LIVE FROM THE MECCA OF MORMONISM
Salt Lake City Utah
This is Heart of the Matter, where Mormonism Meets Biblical Christianity, face to face.
Introduction
Show 25 355 Inside the Temple Part I
And I’m your host, Shawn McCraney. We praise the True and Living God for allowing us to participate in this ministry. May He be with you (and us) tonight. Got LOTS to talk about so hang on.
Want to learn the Word of God? Join us SUNDAYS at the University of Utah either at 10am or 2:30 as we go through the Word verse by verse. Go to www.c-a-m-p-u-s.com for more information.
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A Moment from the Word
Got an email from Bob in Houston and it contained a short and very insightful thought: "In the end there are only two religions: one is the 'I' religion (based on works) the other is Christianity (based on the finished work of Jesus Christ).
While this concept is hard for many Christians to understand it is nearly IMPOSSIBLE for active Latter-day Saints. But the Bible supports it completely. To establish salvation on ANYTHING but grace makes grace not grace!
In light of this people are either saved by grace, or by works, but it is impossible for it to be a combination of the two. Romans 11:6 says it well:
"And if by grace, then is it no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. But if it be of works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
We might liken the whole thing to an individual standing here on earth rising up to the surface of the moon, which we will liken to salvation. And let’s say there are ONLY two possible modes of transportation for reaching salvation – believing or acting.
Those who believe can do nothing but stand there and believe God will transport them up. Only these can say they were saved by faith. The second approach is a person can try and erect their own tower or platform to take them up to the moon. Only these can say they were saved by their works. Each action is mutually exclusive. It’s “Either”, “Or,” but never AND or WITH. To stand in faith is one response. To act and build is another.
To act, negates standing and waiting. To stand and wait, negates acting. Biblical Christians stand and believe in the promises of God – that He will elevate those who truly believe on His Son to the surface of the moon or to salvation. All other approaches are those of people who are working to get there – relying on the “I” as our friend suggested.
But scriptures like 2nd Timothy 1:9 remind those who love the Lord that He has
"saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."
How we pray the LDS will come to see this light. And with that let’s have a word of prayer.
The Approach to LDS Viewership
Years ago, prior to going on television here in Utah we decided in our outreach to the LDS that we would refrain from doing and saying a couple of things the LDS generally get very upset over – all in an effort to avoid insulting them and to hopefully keep seekers within the LDS church tuning in.
The first thing we refrained from doing was referring to Mormonism as a cult. This was not because it is NOT a cult (it certainly is, and operates by cultic principles) but that members, while on the inside, cannot fathom why anyone would refer to their church as a cult. I used to be one of them.
Secondly, we made a conscious effort to refrain from revealing what actually goes on in their temples. The reason for this is when a ministry shows what goes on in Mormon temples they are automatically shut down and made anathema. We wanted curious LDS to tune in and check us out.
If we were still on local television broadcasting out of Salt Lake City I think we would have stuck to these decisions we made early on in the ministry. But the dynamics of our ministry have changed and now we have people – many of them younger –
Exploring the LDS Temple Ceremony
Who are in the LDS church and are wondering what Mormonism is all about.
I think showing the curious, in a step by step chronology what their temple rites are all about will now do more good – and so that is what we are going to do. Additionally, we have discovered that our efforts at “respecting the LDS church in these specific areas accomplished nothing. How can we say this? Because even though we have refrained from employing these tactics the LDS have taken almost ANYTHING and EVERYTHING we HAVE said and called us “evil,” “anti-Mormon,” and “of the devil.” Their sensitivity to ANY form of criticism has convinced me that if our ONLY complaint against Mormonism was their doctrine of polygamy we would still have been labeled “hate-driven anti-Mormons.” That’s just how they work.
So tonight we are going to venture into waters we have refused to enter in the past – the LDS Temple Ceremony. Now, let me also say here and now that without having ever even touched on this subject we have laid out enough evidence a thousand times over to prove Mormonism is NOT Christian. But what we are going to see and explore over the next few weeks ought to seal the deal once and for all for ANYONE who still wonders. A couple of things to consider before we proceed.
The Temple Endowment Ceremony
First of all, we are going to actually see a video-taped recording of the actual temple endowment ceremony in action. This is not made up or staged. What makes this worthwhile is some people have gone to a great deal of time and trouble of not only recording this video tape but have also provided us with subtitles containing a “word for word” of what is being said. We thank those of you who were involved in this production, especially Larry G, a former Latter day Saint now devout believer who supplied us with this DVD.
Secondly, I think it is important to know that the temple ceremony you are about to see is a modern version of a ceremony that has been altered many times over (by the LDS leaders) since Joseph Smith first introduced it. If you want to read about all the changes go to www.utlm.org and you can see for yourselves how it has changed. This is important to understand because much of what is learned in the LDS temples is supposed to be memorized as a means for the LDS person, when they die, to offer up memorized LDS temple signs, tokens, and other rhetoric to angels, who, when they receive them properly, allow the deceased member to enter heaven (so to speak).
Changes in the Ceremony
In light of this, it is strange that the ceremony and rights would change at all since memorizing and presenting them after death as the means by which one enters heaven! Let me explain this a bit better. When I was a young man I went to the temple and for years learned a bunch of stuff that is no longer part of the ritual. Now I happened to go to the temple the week it all changed back in19___. And I remember wondering: If all this is required to get into heaven, and the stuff changed on Wednesday, what happens to those people who memorized all the information from the old system that have died since Wednesday? Do they get up to the heavenly angels, give a certain password, and have the angels say: “Sorry bub. But that changed last week! You outta luck!”
Now before we play you the first 3-minute segment and discuss it, I want to describe to you what happens when a person goes to the temple. There are TWO reasons people go to the temple – one is to do temple work for themselves, and the other is to do temple rites and rituals for people who have died – which is why the LDS do so much genealogy – to get the names and stuff on dead people SO temple rites can be done for them.
A faithful LDS member first goes through and does temple rites for themselves. This work includes being Washed and anointed, Given the LDS garments to wear, Receiving a New Name, Going through an endowment session, And then passing through the veil into the celestial room. Individuals also receive temple marriage or sealing for themselves and if faithful, the mysterious Second Annointing, where it used to be said Jesus appeared to the individual but today seems to only mean you receive some more special rites.
AFTER a member has received all of these rites for themselves, when they return to the…
Entering the LDS Temple
Temple attendees go through in the name of a person who is deceased. Let’s pretend I am going through an LDS temple tonight for the first time in my life.
I have been interviewed by both a Bishop or Bishopric member and asked these questions.
- Do you believe in God, the Eternal Father, in his Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost; and do you have a firm testimony of the restored gospel?
- Do you sustain the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the prophet, seer, and revelator; and do you recognize him as the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys?
- Do you sustain the other General Authorities and the local authorities of the Church?
- Do you live the law of chastity?
- Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church?
- Do you affiliate with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or do you sympathize with the precepts of any such group or individual?
- Do you earnestly strive to do your duty in the Church; to attend your sacrament, priesthood, and other meetings; and to obey the rules, laws, and commandments of the gospel?
- Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen?
- Are you a full-tithe payer?
- Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?
- Have you ever been divorced or are you now separated from your spouse under order of a civil court? If yes, (a) Are you current in your support payments and other financial obligations for family members, as specified by court order or in other written, binding commitments? (b) Were there any circumstances of transgression in connection with your divorce or separation that have not been previously resolved with your bishop?
- If you have received your temple endowment—(a) Do you keep all the covenants that you made in the temple? (b) Do you wear the authorized garments both day and night?
- Has there been any sin or misdeed in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but has not?
- Do you consider yourself worthy in every way to enter the temple and participate in temple ordinances?
I then go to a second interview where I meet with a Stake President or member of a Stake Presidency and essentially am asked the same questions over again.
The Questions’ Implication
I will have you know that these questions automatically make everyone a liar to gain entrance to the temple, and if that sounds too harsh, then the questions are presented in a way that they allow for playing loose with reality (essentially lying to oneself).
For example, the question, “Is there anything in your conduct relating to members of your family that is not in harmony with the teachings of the Church?” Taken at face value, everyone would have to answer yes to this—“Yes, there are things in my conduct that are NOT in harmony with the teaching of the church.”
Then look at question number 6: “Do you affiliate with any group or individual whose teachings or practices are contrary to or oppose those accepted by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or do you sympathize with the precepts of any such group or individual?” While pretty easy to honestly answer, this is nothing but an act of policing to make sure nobody thinks outside the box. They tell me the question is aimed at keeping polygamists out of Big Mormonism but you decide.
Challenging the Core of the Questions
Listen to the scope of question number 7: “Do you earnestly strive (not just strive but earnestly strive) to do your duty in the Church; to attend your sacrament, priesthood, and other meetings; and to obey the rules, laws, and commandments of the gospel?” “Rules, laws, and commandments of the Good News???” I thought the Gospel was that Jesus came, lived, died and rose again to save a sinful world? When did the Gospel or Good News get rules, laws, and commandments?
Does this sound like Christianity, folks?
Then we get some humdingers—like number 8: “Are you honest in your dealings with your fellowmen?” If a person says, “Yes, I am,” then they have proven that they are not honest in their dealings, and if they say, “No,” they’re not worthy. So they lie the big lie!
The religion is FULL of lawyers, doctors, dentists, contractors, and salespeople through the nose and these people will actually answer.
A Closer Look at Temple Recommend Questions
“Yes” to this question.
We are talking the height of spiritual hypocrisy – which God hates. Nine asks, “are you a full-tithe payer?” Which is a very succinct and short way to ask: “have you fully paid the fee to enter the temple so as to gain the key passwords, and signs, and tokens to enter heaven?”
Question Twelve is another epic query. For people who are renewing their temple recommend, they ask: “Do you keep all the covenants that you made in the temple? AND “Do you wear the authorized garments both day and night?”
We are about to see, over the next few weeks, just how invasive and exhaustive these covenants can be. And then we get the “do you wear the garments (which you purchase from the church) both day and night.” The machine is absolutely amazing – and it is ALL based on a counterfeit – a historical and doctrinal deception.
The Control of Temple Recommend Questions
Question 13 reaffirms the control they have on the lives of their members asking: “Has there been any sin or misdeed in your life that should have been resolved with priesthood authorities but has not?” And then the final question greatly helps to firmly establish some level of self-deception in every member as it asks: “Do you consider yourself worthy in every way to enter the temple and participate in temple ordinances?”
If we are talking about being worthy to enter God’s presence (the LDS claim the temple is His house) by and through personal righteousness, NOBODY is worthy ever to enter. And then, if a person was going to approach being worthy they would have to be abundantly humble, and if they are humble they would have to say: “I do NOT consider myself worthy.” So the mind-screw a person has to play to obtain the recommend is insane, and helps us understand the LDS ability to sort of walk about compartmentalizing life into tidy little boxes of pure illusion.
Whew! So once I have used a great deal of self-deception to get my temple recommend, I get ready in my Sunday best and travel to the nearest temple. I walk in and show my recommend. I then proceed to receive the name I am going to go through for that day (and since I am going through for myself I skip this step this time) and then I go and rent my temple clothing (if I do not own my own) or I proceed to the locker room (if I possess my own).
Temple Clothing and Rituals
Temple clothing consists – for men – A new set of temple garments (top and bottom), White pants, A white shirt, A white tie, A white belt, White socks, And white slippers. Additionally, the actual temple ceremonial garb that I am renting (since I have not bought my own) consists of A white cap, A green fig leaf apron, A white robe, And a white sash. Because I have not been through the temple yet, I also obtain at this point what they have named a shield (which is like a giant linen towel with a hole cut out in the middle). You stick your head in through the hole so as to have your body accessible to the person who is going to wash and anoint your body with water and then oil.
After securing my belongings in a locker, I proceed to receive this washing and anointing wearing this shield. In the room where you are washed and anointed a person of your gender “blesses” you and your body in a number of different ways and through a system of touching the part of your body being blessed. If memory serves, they apply water (first) and then oil on the forehead, the arms, the legs, the neck, the shoulders, the bowels (stomach) and the loins (by the way, it was due to this loin area touching that my Dad told the family one glorious night that when he went through the temple for the first time the guy touched his “dork” information that did not help me in the least when I was first subject to this ritual).
Again, if memory serves, I think it is here that they dress you in the temple garments or underwear that you purchased from the LDS church – but that is a bit fuzzy for me. Once you have been washed and anointed, and are wearing the authorized garments, you go to your locker, put on your white pants, shirt, tie, belt, socks, and slippers and head to the New Name booth. Here you receive the new name – for you if it is your first time – or for the person you are going…
New Names and the Ceremony
It so happens that they have one name assigned for the day, so if there is a line of 100 men to go through, and 99 of them have been through before, the new name they get is all the same and the one guy who is going through for the first time he gets this same new name. They do this so that if someone forgets their new name they can call the temple and the temple has a record of the name for that day. My new name was Gideon – and so was everybody else’s who went through on that day.
You then proceed to the endowment room, which in most temples today is like a small movie theater. So what you have is a center aisle, and rows of movie theater chairs on one left side of the room for the women and then row of chairs for the men on the other side of the center aisle. They are facing a curtain covered wall and in front of it is a lace-covered altar big enough for two adults to kneel upon. There is a man who stands over the group in a white suit. He is known as the “Officiator” and he represents certain characters that will be represented in the presentation of the endowment as well as the guys who sort of directs the whole shebang through to the end.
The Role of the Officiator
This “Officiator” will personally choose a couple out of the group to be what they call “the couple of the day.” This couple will sit down on the front row center aisle seats across from each other and will get up as directed, kneel at the altar throughout the ceremony, and give examples on how different signs and tokens are received. This couple is representative of every person in the room – as if they themselves were there at the altar.
The Serious Nature of the Ceremony
The endowment is prefaced by the officiator pushing a button which plays a recording of soft toned instructions. In the instructions those sitting in the room – which typically hold like 100 to 200 people – is that what they are about to do is very serious and very sacred. And then the recorded voice says: “If any of you desire to withdraw rather than accept these obligations of your own freewill and choice, you may now make it known by raising your hand.”
Now understand this – there you are, you are surrounded by your family and friends, and a hundred other people, and you have NO idea what you are about to agree to, and prior to telling you what you are going to agree to, the voice gives you an out. And there is silence. And you are thinking, “What the “fetch” am I doing?” But you stay anyway – for a whole bunch of different reasons – but being informed is NOT one of them.
All of this has occurred prior to the “first lecture” which we are going to show you now. It lasts 2:15. Take a look.
(Show Lecture here)
Let’s open up the phone lines:
While the operators are clearing your calls, allow me to boldly tell you how we survive financially –
First, by your prayers. This is the single most important thing you can do for this ministry because if you are not in a position to help support our efforts financially your prayers will bring those who are to able.
Second, by sharing the show with as many people as you can. Remember, they can watch in four distinct ways:
First, right here on Tuesday nights through live streaming. Second, if they get Direct TV they can watch us on Friday nights on the NRB channel 378. Third, they can come to our website (at www.hotm.tv) and watch most of our shows through our archives. And fourth, they can go to YouTube, type in Shawn McCraney, and viola! Show segments. Tell people please.
Finally, we also write and sell books, put the Word of God to music, and offer a host of other products – and they are all available at www.hotm.tv We do not burden you with greatly exaggerated prices (quite frankly we give as many books away as we sell, but it is one way we survive. Thanks, you guys.
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